Airport denies role in Dziekanski’s death

Vancouver International Airport, where Robert Dziekanski wandered around lost for 10 hours before his fatal confrontation with RCMP two years ago, has denied any responsibility for his death in its defence of a lawsuit filed by the Polish immigrant’s mother.

VANCOUVER — Vancouver International Airport, where Robert Dziekanski wandered around lost for 10 hours before his fatal confrontation with RCMP two years ago, has denied any responsibility for his death in its defence of a lawsuit filed by the Polish immigrant’s mother.

Dziekanski died on the floor of the airport’s international arrivals area on Oct. 14, 2007, after four RCMP officers stunned him with a Taser.

His mother is suing the officers, the airport and the federal and provincial governments.

Zofia Cisowski alleges the airport and its staff failed her son at every encounter they had with the man after he arrived from Poland and then tried, unsuccessfully, to find his waiting mother.

He was lost in the airport for about 10 hours before his confrontation with police.

The airport denies every allegation.

Airport staff “followed their training, used good judgment and employed the resources available to them at the time to do their best to assist the plaintiff (Cisowski), Mr. Dziekanski and all members of the public in attendance at the airport,” says the statement of defence, filed on Nov. 20.